Non-invasive test could help diagnose bladder cancer

Clinicians in Southampton will lead a pioneering study into a new non-invasive urine test that could help diagnose bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer is the seventh most common type in the UK, with around 10,000 people diagnosed every year. Around two-thirds of cases recur within five years, so patients are monitored routinely after treatment.

The urine test works by detecting a protein, known Mcm5. Patients are currently tested and monitored via an invasive cystoscopy examination, which involves passing a thin device through the urethra – the tube which carries urine out of the body – to examine the inside of the bladder.

Tim Dudderidge, a consultant urological surgeon at Southampton General Hospital, and his team will recruit around 40 patients who have been diagnosed with the disease to participate in the trial.